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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · rule · trunk · bark · field · charge · ruler · wake

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. charge — in control
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wake — a trail
  7. field — for sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — farmland
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — a law
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — to push
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com